Lest We Forget - 10 December Today, 10 December we salute and honor the following men who sacrificed their lives whilst standing in the defence of what they held dear at the time and against evil and tyranny. SOUTH AFRICAN BORDER WAR 10 Dec 1975: 72428725BC Rifleman Thom Du Toit Lotz from 2 SAI was Killed in Action during Ops Savannah while part of a patrol sent out to clear a road which ran parallel to the Nhia River in Central Angola. While carrying out this task, the patrol encountered a numerically superior enemy force and he was killed in the subsequent fire-fight that followed. He was 19. 10 Dec 1975: 72304769BA Sapper Udo Kneed von Schmettau from 2 Field Engineers was Killed in Action during Ops Savannah while transporting a wounded soldier to the hospital at Cela in Huambo Province, Central Angola. His vehicle received a direct by an enemy 82mm mortar bomb, killing him instantly. He was 19. 10 Dec 1976: 72247521BC Lance Corporal Marthinus Petrus Pearson from 3 SAI was killed when his Buffel Troop Carrier overturned in Northern Owamboland. He was 19. 10 Dec 1978: 73334328BG Private Hendrik Stephanus Willem Engelbrecht from the South African Medical Corps Training Centre was killed in a Military Vehicle Accident in Northern Owamboland. He was 21. 10 Dec 1983: 80385123BG Rifleman Richard Barrington from 6 SAI was attached to Foxtrot Company, Platoon 4. The platoon set up an ambush position to stop insurgency from the north. Shortly before nightfall, the Platoon received orders from HQ advising that they could also possibly expect insurgents approaching from the south, heading back into Angola. During the night there was heavy rainfall and in order to relieve himself, Barrington left the ambush position and moved in a southerly direction. On his return to his position, still in pouring rain, a fellow soldier on guard duty accidently mistook him for an insurgent and shot him dead. He was 19. 10 Dec 1988: 80476493BG Sapper Christiaan Andre de Goede from 2 Field Engineer Regiment was killed when the military vehicle in which he was travelling, overturned near Nelspruit. He was 18. RHODESIAN BUSH WAR Four members of the Rhodesian forces are remembered today - three of whom are RDR members. 1974 – PO Owen Haylock-Smith (aged 22), Uniform BSAP, KOAS from a skull fracture. He died in the Andrew Fleming Hospital, Salisbury having been involved in a motor vehicle accident a week earlier. 1975 – Pte Allen Rudolf (aged 23), RDR, KOAS from a head injury. Died in Salisbury Hospital. 1978 – Pte Henry Dube (aged 20), 1st Bn RDR, DOAS. 1979 – L/Cpl Famnly (Family?) Williams (aged 24), 2nd Bn RDR, DOAS. The spelling of his first name is from his headstone. Their names and sacrifices have not been forgotten.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 09:50:53 +0000
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